Political science student awarded prestigious fellowship

A 19-year-old student from The University of Western Australia who is passionate about human rights and diplomacy has won a prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship.

The New Colombo Plan is an Australian Government initiative to improve knowledge by providing young Australians with scholarships to study and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Rosanna Radici, who is studying a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) majoring in Economics and Political Science and International Relations, is one of the high-ranking scholars selected for the 2021 program, and will complete her internship in Japan.

“It’s an insane feeling to be awarded a New Colombo Plan Scholarship and an opportunity unlike anything I could have dreamed of,” Rosanna said.

“Political science is such a niche and complicated field and I believe Australia underutilises their capacity for soft power diplomacy, which is a topic I’m passionate about exploring next year in Japan.”

Rosanna Radici

“I am so fortunate that UWA has supported me in my journey to achieve the greatest things I can in my undergraduate degree.”

Rosanna, who has studied Japanese for seven years, will attend Kobe University in Japan to undertake further studies in political science and economics.

“Political science is such a niche and complicated field and I believe Australia underutilises their capacity for soft power diplomacy, which is a topic I’m passionate about exploring next year in Japan,” she said.

Rosanna is also Vice-President of United Nations Youth Western Australia and is passionate about engaging young people in relevant global issues and ensuring their voices are heard.

She said she would miss studying at UWA and the community of young and passionate students she had worked with.

“The community I’ve found here has inspired me to achieve the best I can and is unlike anything I could have expected,” she said. 

Participants of the 2021 New Colombo Plan program were announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

More information about the New Colombo Plan Scholarship program is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.